Generally, investments made into private equity funds are kept that way: private. But both the size of the investment and the fact that Safe is one of China’s sovereign wealth funds drew attention to the agreement.

Thomson Financial’s Glenn Curtis defines sovereign wealth funds as “foreign government investment vehicles” that “have made headlines recently because of their cash hordes. They are now beginning to diversify out of low yielding bonds and into other assets for greater returns.”

The world’s six largest holders of sovereign wealth funds, China being among them, have significant oil deposits, and use the investment tool to help tide the economy over in case of resource depletion or negative shocks to commodities prices.

Currently, an estimated $2 trillion to $3 trillion is invested in sovereign wealth funds. Over the next five years this amount is expected to increase to some $6 trillion to $10 trillion.

The increasing value of sovereign wealth funds has opened debate as to their transparency, as well as how they wield national treasuries into players on the international financial markets. Some countries in which sovereign wealth funds often invest are showing skepticism as to their political motives.

The widely diversified portfolios of private equity firms like TPG—which has stakes in media, banking and airlines—could help to lessen scrutiny imposed on sovereign wealth fund investments.

“In recent years, a growing percentage of the money for US private equity firms has come from overseas. In 2002, for example, 25 percent of the money that Blackstone raised came from outside the US. In 2005, it increased to 40 percent,” writes the Financial Times.

Glenn Curtis, director of the sovereign wealth funds research group for Thomson Financial, describes sovereign wealth funds as “foreign government investment vehicles,” many of which are “flush with petrodollars, and have made headlines recently because of their cash hordes. They are now beginning to diversify out of low yielding bonds and into other assets for greater returns.

Sovereign wealth funds are an investment tool that governments use to keep national coffers flush during economic downturns, or should a natural resource, such as oil and gas, grow depleted. The world’s six largest governmental investors in SWFs, of which China is one, all have significant petroleum deposits. They have come under international criticism for their opacity and questions over possible political motives. But Britain’s Prince Andrew defended them last month during a side conversation at the World Economic Forum, saying, “I do not believe there is a problem with the way that sovereign wealth funds are managed or run.”

The IMF recognizes the trepidation felt by SWF recipient governments regarding “the impact of SWFs—reflecting their size and investment strategies—and of the home countries that have been worried about the risk of rising protectionist sentiment.”

General Electric, the company founded by Thomas Edison that created the refrigerator and toaster oven, is to either spin off or sell its century-old appliance unit. Chinese appliance manufacturer Haier has emerged as one likely buyer.